The composition emphasizes the constraint of the demon's figure, as if pressed between the upper and lower bars of the frame.

In 1889, Vrubel moved to Moscow where he would produce The Demon Seated as his first large canvas.

The work was harshly criticized, yet moved him into a higher realm of artistic expression.

In this piece, among others, Vrubel explored the theme of a Demon from Mikhail Lermontov's 1839 poem, which tells of a Byronic demon that fell in love with a Georgian princess, who dies as a result of his kiss.

[2] Vrubel portrays the Demon as a romantic spirit, full of hope and searching for harmony and truth.